Bahamas should ‘denounce attempted coup’ in Venezuela

Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Philip Brave Davis yesterday called on the government to denounce an attempted coup d’état that took place in Venezuela earlier this week.

On Tuesday, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó went to a military base in Caracas to proclaim the end of socialist President Nicolas Maduro’s regime.

Speaking about the incident, Davis told The Nassau Guardian, “We should be denouncing coups in any form because we support the peaceful resolution of issues that may impact a country, and we encourage dialogue and resolution in accordance with the constitutional construct that ordains the country.

“That’s what we encourage. We don’t encourage coups. We don’t encourage violent resolutions to the issues.”

With the sensitive nature of the issues in Venezuela, the opposition leader said it isn’t right for The Bahamas to choose sides in the South American country’s political divide.

“As we have said before, the issues that impact Venezuela ought to be resolved by the internal mechanisms that are in place from their constitutional construct and from the will of the people and I think that is what ought to be engaged,” Davis said.

“We ought to be encouraging conversation and dialogue between the opposition and all the parties involved and stakeholders involved. That’s what we should be doing. In fact, we should not be siding with anyone, but being on the side of the process that they all have agreed to and that is their constitution.”

Venezuela has been facing a political and economic collapse that has created a humanitarian crisis and caused millions to leave the country.

Earlier this year, thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets in a movement against Maduro’s presidency as numerous countries dispute his legitimacy.

In January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised that The Bahamas was among several Organization of American States (OAS) members to recognize Guaidó as the country’s interim president amid massive protests.

Following a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in March, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis said that The Bahamas stood “firm” on its decision to recognize Guaidó as president.